Easter

7
Annotations

Easter, obviously, is a moveable feast that falls on different days through the years. Here are the days it falls on in the years of the diary (old style), for anyone interested in looking up Pepys's Easters:

22 April 1659/6014 April 1660/6130 March 1661/6219 April 1662/6310 April 1663/6426 March 1664/6515 April 1665/667 April 1666/6722 March 1667/6811 April 1668/69

Easter Sunday was the main day of celebration, formally recognized by the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. Pentecost Sunday was also observedReligion and Pagans ?along with hot cross buns (feast of Eostre saxon goddess...) Easter Rabbit and eggs symbols of norse goddess Ostara ....(fertility etc)Easter lilies (phallic symbol)history of easter http://www.information-entertainment.com/Holida...In June 1647, England Parliament , headed by Puritans passed legislation abolishing Christmas and other holidays: "Forasmuch as the feast of the nativity of Christ, Easter, Whitsuntide, and other festivals, commonly called holy-days, have been heretofore superstitiously used and observed; be it ordained, that the said feasts, and all other festivals, commonly called holy-days, be no longer observed as festivals; any law, statute, custom, constitution, or canon, to the contrary in anywise not withstanding." - Daniel Neal, The History of the Puritans (London, 1837; rpt. Minneapolis: Klock , p. 45

I was waiting for someone to debunk the joke above:Surely it should be dated April 1st, not 14th!Eggs were eaten at the spring festival because that is when the chickens started laying again after their winter lay-off. (sorry for the pun) The eggs in the Shrove Tuesday pancakes are the last of the old eggs stored in waterglass, and none were available between then and the start of the new laying season. (i.e. Lent - the lean time)Hares and rabbits start gambolling around the meadows in spring (Mad March Hares) so are associated with the spring festival. As for ham, is this an American thing? I have never heard of it in (protestant) Britain nor (catholic) France. We have ham at Christmas/New Year. As for ham being associated with the end of a Jewish festival... well! In Europe we would associate lamb, not ham, with Spring/Easter as the spring born lambs are now the right size for the roasting tin.Hot cross buns are unheard of in France so seem to be an Anglo-Saxon thing and certainly not biblical!

In the April 23, 1660 entry annotations, David Bell posted a reference to 'Eostre' via a chat forum...the post he made reference to contained an excerpt from the April 14 Lowell Ponte article in FrontPageMagazine.com, which I found to be quite extraordinary re: pagan rituals from Mesopotamia...

When I posted the above I had been reading about Jacob and his dream and the Golan area (now Syria) and been reminded about how Abraham and Isaac had come from where the Chaldees (remember Ur?) lived...

As for Grahamt's points, they are all quite reasonable and familiar observations...spring rituals are universal and ubiquitous: I'd love to have a reference to a book which outlines the historical and cultural evolution of the Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Easter cycles, festivities and celebrations...I'm sure there are wide variations and animist plus other traditions which are found in various Christian enclaves all around the world...eg. Africa, Asia.

Debate over abolishing Easter[Enough of Easter in general - now for Easter in Pepys's time. Two annos posted by VK for the 22 Apr 1660 entry:]

The Ordinance of June 8 1645, abolishing saints' days, and the three festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide:

"Forasmuch as the feast of the nativity of Christ, Easter, and Whitsuntide, and other festivals, commonly called holydays, have been heretofore superstitiously used and observed; be it ordained, that the said feasts, and all other festivals, commonly called: holydays, be no longer observed as festivals, any law, statute, custom, constitution, or canon, to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding."And that there may be a convenient time allotted for scholars, apprentices, and other servants, for their recreation, be it ordained, that all scholars, apprentices, and other servants, shall, with the leave of their masters, have such convenient, reasonable recreation, and relaxation from labour, every second Tuesday in the month throughout the year, as formerly they used to have upon the festivals; and masters of scholars, apprentices, and servants, shall grant to them. respectively such time for their recreation, on the aforesald. Second Tuesday in the month, as they may conveniently spare from their extraordinary necessary service and occasions; and if any difference arise between masters and servants concerning the liberty hereby granted, the next justice of peace shall reconcile it."

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This issue was debated after Parliament had captured the King and was holding him at Holmby House. The following is from Daniel Neal's History of the Puritans and Certain Puritan Theologians (published 1738):

"The king was highly displeased with this ordinance; and therefore, while the affair was under debate, he put this query to the Parliament commissioners at Holmby House, April, 23, 1647.'I desire to be out-resolved of this question, Why the new reformers discharge the keeping of Easter? My reason for this query is, I conceive the celebration of this feast was instituted by the same authority which changed the Jewish Sabbath-into the Lord's Day or Sunday, for it will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept, or turned into the Sunday; wherefore it must be the Church's authority that changed the one and instituted the other; therefore my opinion is, that those who will not keep this feast may as well return to the observation of Saturday, and refuse the weekly Sunday. When anybody can show me that herein I am in an error, I shall not be ashamed to confess and amend it; till when you know my mind. C. R.' [Charles Rex]"Sir James Harrington presented his majesty with an answer to this query, in which he denies that the change of the Sabbath was from the authority of the Church, but derives it from the authority and example of our Saviour and his apostles in the New Testament; he admits that, if there was the like mention of the observation of Easter, it would be of Divine or apostolical authority; but as the case stands, he apprehends, with great reason, that the observation of the Christian Sabbath, and of Easter stands upon a very different footing."